Virginia Beach Rock n Roll is Labor Day weekend every year. Every year the weather is miserable, yet suckers like me still sign up to run (or walk or crawl) for a tee shirt and some bling every year. Better yet, we pay for the (dis)pleasure of doing that. Takes a special kind of crazy. This year the day before there was a breeze, it was over cast and cool, at least by Virginia Beach summer standards. A real teaser. You start to think maybe, just maybe the weather will be nice. That plus the bonus of it only being $45.00 dollars to sign up for the next year and you are suckered in again. They should offer tattoos instead of tee shirts.

My daughter and I had signed up for the Mile of the Beach run which was the intro run the day before the half. Why? For more bling of course. A medal to run the mile, a medal for the half, and an extra one to prove just how crazy you were to do it in the first place.

The mile on the beach was no joke. Less then a quarter of the way in, the loose sand got the best of us and my daughter and my calves quickly realized we weren't running the whole mile. After some whining, walking and chin up talks we made it to the finish, where my daughter promptly informed me, we were never, EVER doing that again. For once AGREED. That being said and done, we headed down to the water where some friends waited and spent the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon chilling on the beach. This is how Labor Day weekend should be spent.

Next up was the half. Up at 4 a.m. because running in the heat and humidity isn't enough, you have to get up predawn just to get there to do it. Thank goodness for funny morning friends. My stomach can't handle a lot that early so no breakfast and very little coffee are not a good way to start a race. However, my running friends are just as crazy as me and a whole lot funnier. One of said friends noted we took up half the shuttle and the rest were probably wishing they had grabbed the next one. She was probably right, but smiles and laughter are a great way to start a race. One of the many reasons I like starting with my BRF even though we don't actually run together anymore.

So I got up, cussed the alarm, cussed the weather, cussed the fact that I had signed up in the first place, got in the car and drove to the shuttles 45 minutes away, finally thought I was awake enough to have it semi-together and I stepped in the only hole to China in the whole lawn walking from my car to the shuttle. Really?! The darn shuttle wasn't that far from my car! That hurt. Took a deep breath and decided it didn't hurt too badly, I could walk on it, therefor I could run on it, and over to my friends.

Once on the shuttle, it is another 20 minutes to the race start, which is why you have to get up so early. The race doesn't actually start until 7 a.m. but they close the roads, so no in or out except for emergency, shuttles and race workers. Once there we met others in my Moms Run This Town Group (which BTW is the most awesome group of women you will every meet. I make new friends at each race).  Obligatory picture taken, and then off to find bag check and stand in line for one last potty. My group and I made it to the start and jumped in early (I know, race shame on us, but the amount of people there were getting to me), which in the end made my finish deceiving. Because we started in front of the 2:45 pacer and finished in front of the pacer, it didn't match my Garmin. For a few seconds I thought maybe I had done better than I thought. About that time the math fought through the humidity to burst my bubble. It was weird to physically finish in front of the pacer yet still be a few minutes behind on the chip time.

Before I had finished mile 1, the humidity was so bad, I was dripping sweat. Mile 5ish I had to stop to potty since I was making sure to remain well hydrated given the heat and humidity. I took salt and Nunn and managed to avoid a headache, but I didn't beat my time from last year. The humidity was just too much. Its like running with a hot wet blanket thrown over you. YUCK! I beat 3 hours and didn't pass out so I am counting it as a personal win. I know I am faster then that. I also know I can't beat heat and humidity. I am a northern girl at heart. I can adjust forever and still prefer to run when its super cold rather then super hot. Maine girl all the way.

Swiped from Rock N Roll website

Once done, we were to meet a D for done. So I met a few of the girls, who told me where I could go get my stuff and extra medal. Off I went saying I would be back. They waited but had to go after that. My ankle was throbbing, a heat headache was coming and I was miserable standing in the direct sun. I needed something wet and cold and to get off my ankle so after waiting a bit more and then wandering to look for my other friends I finally went home, but not before stopping for an orangeade (orange juice and ground up ice slushy). It was probably my savings grace. Cold and it put back some of what I had lost in the heat and sweat. One the shuttle back to the car and home. Boy did I stink! Thank goodness so did everyone else. I don't have a lot of pictures because I was so hot and sweaty I didn't take the time to stop and take any. The ones that were taken, I just look nasty in. Next week is Bird in Hand. A fun race in PA with my BRF in cooler weather. I should have pictures of that one. Next year Rock n Roll, next year.